Monday

Congregations across Massachusetts are mulling changes to security measures after a shooting on Oct. 27 left 11 dead at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

“Usually when people are in the building, we don’t necessarily lock the door. But (on Sunday) we said, ‘Let’s keep the door locked,” said Rabbi Liza Stern of the Congregation Eitz Chayim in Cambridge. “As we move forward, it remains to be seen. If the board meets, they may decide they want to change our open-door policy.”

The fatal shooting in Pennsylvania is believed to be the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history.

The gunman, Robert Gregory Bowers, is suspected of using an AR-15 rifle to fatally shoot 11 people and injure another six. He purposely targeted members of the Jewish faith, telling a law enforcement officer, “I just want to kill Jews,” and “Jewish people needed to die,” according to a federal affidavit.

The shooting happened on Saturday, which is the Jewish day of rest and worship known as Shabbat.

Stern, who was on a flight when the shooting happened, turned on her phone to receive more than 60 unread messages.

“It was very eerie for me,” she said.

And she’s not alone, as the deadly attack is pushing others to rethink security measures. In Hull, Temple Beth Sholom plans to discuss security procedures, according to The Patriot Ledger, a Wicked Local sister publication.

“Places of worship are supposed to be safe, and that was taken away from us,” said Rabbi Reb Joel Goldstein.

In Wayland, Rabbi Danny Burkeman of Temple Shir Tikva in a statement on Oct. 27 said the synagogue was communicating with Chief of Police Patrick Swanick. The plan is to meet and review safety and security measures to discuss “best steps moving forward.”

“While we have no reason to believe there is any particular local threat, we are monitoring the unfolding situation carefully and we are working closely with Wayland Police,” Burkeman said.

The synagogue also planned to have a police officer present at its religion school on Sunday.

More broadly, the Pittsburgh shooting fits into a growing number of anti-Semitism incidents happening across the country. In 2017, the number of such events increased nearly 60 percent to 1,986, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a New York nonprofit that tracks anti-Semitism and bigotry.

Massachusetts was among states with the most reported events.

“Incidents took place in every state across the country, but consistent with prior reports, the states with the highest number of incidents tend to be those with the largest Jewish populations,” according to the group.

In 2017, 188 events were reported in Massachusetts; 14 more had been reported through the first six months of 2018.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday said he met with the recently revived Hate Crimes Task Force last week amid reports of growing anti-semitism across New England. He plans to meet with the group again in November, according to the State House News Service.

“Any anti-Semitic act -- any act of hate or terror or violence or vandalism, against anybody or any organization because of their religion, their race, their sexual orientation -- is zero tolerance here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Baker said.

In an email, Robert O. Trestan, ADL New England regional director, encouraged all to “remain steadfast, vigilant and supportive of each other.”

“ADL has been taking action by working with law enforcement and others to bolster security, publicly exposing extremists and their tactics, mobilizing allies, expanding our education resources and developing policy solutions to counteract anti-Semitism and all forms of extremism,” Trestan wrote.

Beyond Massachusetts, there’s also a growing effort to get people -- regardless of their religion affiliation -- to fill synagogues for Shabbat this week.

AJC, an international Jewish advocacy group, launched an initiative dubbed #ShowUpForShabbat, and within minutes of posting it online hundreds of individuals and groups committed to participate. Check the website of your local synagogue for service hours and call before sundown Friday, Nov. 2, with questions.

“When a hate-filled gunman burst into Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Or L’Simcha Congregation on Shabbat morning, murdering 11 worshipers and terrorizing an entire community, he probably did not think that his vile actions would lead to an outpour of love and unity. But that’s exacting what is happening,” wrote Dan Elbaum, AJC chief advocacy officer.

In Cambridge, Stern believes the best way forward in terms of security measures will be to find a balance between keeping people safe and not perpetuating fear.

“I hope whatever we do is prudent and not simply a result of fear,” she said. “We want to be responsible, but at the same time we don’t want to be paranoid, so it remains to be seen how that will be decided.”

Eli Sherman is an investigative and in-depth reporter at Wicked Local and GateHouse Media. Email him at esherman@wickedlocal.com, or follow him on Twitter @Eli_Sherman.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Joe DiFazio of The Patriot Ledger contributed to this report.

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